Master of the Game
by Nature9000
Summary: Seven years after an attempt on his life, Freddie is lured in by his attacker for one more deadly game of chess where the stakes are much higher. Freddie must defeat Shane in one more game of chess in order to save not only his life but the lives of everyone that is close to him. One wrong move could spell the end of everything, and he must face a true mastermind or die trying.


Master of the Game

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly

A/N: This oneshot is a sequel to a oneshot I wrote way back in 2008, which is still up, called "A Game of Chess". You can go back and read it if you wish, it could be a good idea. I hope you'll enjoy this though.

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-OUT FOR BLOOD A NEW GAME OF SURVIVAL MUST BE PLAYED-

Late 2015, within the confines of a dimly lit and cold prison cell sat a man wanted for attempted murder. Shane Harper was hunched over a chessboard, his fingers laced together before his scarred face and his piercing eyes glared down at the pieces on the board.

For seven years he contemplated where he went wrong; where was the wrong move that enabled Freddie Benson to defeat him. The plan he laid out had been perfect, but the truth of the matter may have been his forgetting the human aspect of the game that he played in a war which he waged.

As his sentence neared his end, his hatred had not waned in the slightest but had grown far greater than could be anticipated. "My mistake…" Shane wrapped his fingers around the king piece and closed his fist as though trying to crush it. "Was letting the captured pieces live."

Contacts on the outside suggested great change over the years; Carly was no longer within the states and Sam had left for California. It was unknown if the relationship between her and Freddie remained, but that wasn't his chief concern anymore.

It was also said that Jake and Stephanie were gone, so it was unknown whether or not they were in contact with Freddie either. This took out one of Freddie's knights, rook, and essentially the bishop piece.

His eyes traveled to the cell door and the skin around them tightened. "You may have bested me at the game of chess before, but now your pieces are gone and you've no doubt forgotten me." His hand opened up and the king slipped from his grasp and hit the floor with an echoing bang.

Shane's glare narrowed and his nostrils started to flare as his lips twisted into a deadly scowl. "I've not forgotten you, Freddie Benson." A vein bulged from his neck and a growl drifted from his throat. "You've taken everything from me, and now, I will take everything…from you…"

In Seattle, Freddie sat in a towering law firm while gazing out the window at the abnormally clear blue day. His hands were tucked behind his head and he was leaning back in the black office chair.

He was a new attorney, fresh on the streets, given his job by one Spencer Shay. Spencer had gone back to school some time ago to finish his law degree and was now a high powered attorney himself.

Freddie's parents were now retired from the police force, but his father still carried great weight as people respected the man and often went to him for advice. "Freddie, focus." He raised an eyebrow and turned his head, glancing at the computer seated on the desk.

His fiancé was looking back at him with a stern glare and tight-lipped expression. "You're always getting distracted during our skype calls," Sam stated firmly, "Are you even listening to me?" He smiled at her and pulled his hands away.

"Of course I am sweetie." He turned to face her, looking back into her gentle eyes. "You were saying how you found the perfect place." He'd only been an attorney for about a year and was searching for jobs in California. The plan was to move there, get married, and settle down.

Sam's hair was up in a bun, her shoulders looked broad in the pads of her black police uniform. The badges designated her as a detective. "It's near the Captain's place in central Los Angeles." He smiled at the mention of her boss. Captain Vega was a good man, one whose daughter knew the girl Sam roomed with many years ago, and that same girl mentioned to him that Sam was looking for a start in the criminal justice system. He gave her a chance, and she has since proved to be a valuable member of the force.

"You know I'll miss Seattle, but it rains too much here." He looked towards the window with a shrug. "I guess the time comes for everyone to move eventually." Seattle had great memories, but also with it came the negative ones that both he and Sam wished to move on from. "I'll miss Jonah and Valerie the most too."

"We'll still be in touch." Sam's mouth curled into a tiny but comforting smile. "I talk to Val all the time, and Carly too. You've probably met up with her by now, haven't you? She is in town."

"I can't say that I have." He knew Carly was in town, she was visiting her brother and his family. He wanted to stop in and say hello, but it felt like that would be too much. "I know we go back a ways, but she's too busy with her brother and his kids to say hi to a friend she hasn't seen in a long time."

Sam's eyebrows came together and she raised her hand, pointing at the screen. "Freddie Benson, you will say hello to Carly before she leaves and before we finalize on a home down here." He chuckled and folded his hands in his lap.

"Of course I will," Freddie replied with a soft voice. His primary concern was that a reunion with Carly could be an awkward one. Unlike Sam, who kept regular contact with the girl since she moved away to Italy, Freddie actually hadn't spoken to her.

"I hope you do. I want her at our wedding." Freddie closed his eyes and smiled wide as he pictured Sam in a long bridal dress with her hair adorned with flowers and a tiara. His queen, just as it should be.

His eyelids opened halfway and he saw Sam peering down at the small Nokia phone that she kept as a spare for work only. It was also an emergency phone, in case she lost use of her primary cell. Ever since their bout with Shane, she kept multiple phones on herself at all times.

Paranoia remained in everyone involved in that day, but it also made them smarter and stronger in many ways. Freddie was proudest in how it shaped Sam to being more alert of her surroundings-she was actually praised for being one of the sharpest detectives on the team she worked with.

"I have to go," Sam muttered in annoyance, "Work calls." She turned her eyes towards the screen and leaned forward, smiling as she gazed into his eyes. "I love you, Freddie."

"I love you too."

"I miss you."

"We'll see each other soon."

Her eyebrows curled up in the center and the corners of her mouth fell slightly. "I know. Just every day I go without you when I want you here to hold me is rough. Being a cop is hard…especially in these times."

"I know honey." He set his hand on the computer screen, furrowing his brow and smiling sadly as she did the same. "I love you. Call me when you're done."

"I will. Try not to have too much fun without me." He laughed and she smirked.

Jonah invited him over to watch the fights since Valerie was taking the kids to see their grandparents. Sam and Val knew this meant the house was going to end up littered with snacks, wrappers, and the men were probably going to be shouting at the television all night.

"I'll try not to have _too_ much fun." She gave him a skeptical look and shook her head before signing off. His eyes darted to a tab on the start menu of his computer and a smirk grew on his face. "Of course I have some down time, so I may as well get back to playing chess."

An hour in he got a call from Jonah, wanting to know how the conversation with the missus went and if he was ready for the fights later. "More than ready my friend." Freddie spun around in the chair, facing the window once more as he pushed the phone against his ear. "I've just been passing along time with a game of chess on the computer."

"Seriously?" He could hear the disdain in Jonah's voice, but it didn't faze him. "I thought you didn't play much anymore?"

Freddie dropped his shoulders and turned his head towards the computer with a sigh. "Not like I used to, no, but it's still good for killing time." He tilted his head back over the top of the chair and closed his eyes, tensing them as the nightmare he'd endured with Shane entered his mind. "Sam doesn't like it either, she says chess annoys the shit out of her."

"Yeah, but whatever man. Tonight's game, all bets are on Jansen."

"Agreed man, I'm looking forward to it. Make sure you've got the beer, I'll grab the snacks…" He opened his eyes and flashed a subtle smirk. "And let's try not to piss Valerie off by leaving too big a mess this time shall we?"

After the call with Jonah, Freddie returned to the game of chess. He was playing in a tournament with people online, and currently was up against someone that entered the forums recently. This person was a master for someone so new, it impressed him a great deal.

When he returned to the chat forum, he saw a message that caught his attention. "You seem like a real player," the person stated, "Online chess is far too easy. We're both in Seattle, why don't we meet in person for a game of chess over a real table, with real stakes?" It was an open invitation from someone that intrigued him.

"Sure," he typed, "When's a good time? We can meet at the coffee shop downtown if you'd like."

"Smart move, meeting in public. I like your style." Freddie puffed himself up and swept his hand through his hair. "I wouldn't expect a former internet star that laid so much out for the world to be so careful with people online."

"I get that, but I've learned a lot in my years."

"Yet your online name doesn't hide your identity." He frowned and glanced at the username on his screen. It was an old username that he was too lazy to replace. "I agree, Mr. Benson, let's meet at the coffee shop downtown, but do they have a chessboard?"

"No."

"I have a balcony which overlooks the park, and I have a fancy chess table with the finest wood carved pieces you can find." His eyebrows rose and he parted his lips while imagining what this board may have looked like. He wanted to see it in person, though part of him questioned whether or not it would be a good idea.

"Well…okay." He would try and have people know where he was and what he was doing. He didn't feel any danger, and years of looking over his shoulder made him weary. "Is Saturday a good time?"

He waited for a response, which surprisingly took a great deal of time. After more than five minutes, the reply came. "That works just fine. Perhaps three o'clock then. It will be a pleasure to play chess with one of the finest people on these boards."

"Thank you."

On the day of the meeting, Freddie hadn't been able to get ahold of Sam for a good part of the day. It was odd, especially since she was careful not to forget her phone. It was probable that she was just busy, but she normally sent him a text to suggest that she was.

As he approached the house he checked his phone once more for any texts from her or anyone else. Spencer wasn't answering calls, and neither was Jonah. This concerned him a great deal so he wound up calling his parents to try and check on everyone.

He looked to the two story home with a smile and spotted the balcony that the person talked about. It had a fancy railing with vines growing along the vertical rails. Part of him wanted to tell the person he would have to wait, but he trusted his father to figure out if Spencer and Jonah were doing okay. This would be one quick game of chess and then he'd be on his way.

Before he could reach the door, it opened up and a tall man in a black suit stepped out. He was an older man with a trembling brow and sweat that glistened at the top of his bald head. "Hello," the man said with a tone that was laced with nerves. "Please come inside."

"Are you the butler?"

"No sir, I'm the father." The man turned around and entered the home slowly. As Freddie followed him, he couldn't help but concentrate on the amount of fear in the man's gaze. "Do you like coffee?"

"Yes." The man lifted a small cup from the counter of the kitchen and extended it towards him. He took it and looked at the swirling brown liquid curiously. Part of him wanted to set the cup down and leave as this man's fear was leaving a bad feeling in his gut, but he didn't want to be rude.

"Thank you." Freddie raised the tip of the cup to his lips, pausing for only a moment, then he lowered the cup. "You said father? Tell me I didn't agree to meet a teenager or something."

"No sir." The man's aged and sunken throat seemed to cave as the adam's apple sank down. "Please, drink up and come this way." Freddie raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the coffee.

"Alright." He took a sip from the mug and closed his eyes, sighing as the warm liquid ran down his throat. As he lowered the mug he felt a dull ache in his chest. He furrowed his brow and glanced around the almost empty home for anything designating whose place this was.

There were no photographs on the walls, there was no mess; only clean furniture positioned throughout.

Freddie walked up the stairs and was guided to the doors of the balcony. Through the sliding glass doors he saw a fancy chess table made of marble stone and finely crafted wooden chess pieces already laid out.

His heart skipped with what he thought was excitement. "You enjoy chess, I take?" The man asked while shifting his gaze outward. Freddie set the mug down on the end table and shrugged.

"It's a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine." It was an addiction of sorts; something to hold onto the intellectual skills that he possessed. Although in this moment, he didn't feel intelligent, he felt that he was missing a crucial detail.

Standing on the balcony was a man with his back turned to them. The man had his hands spread out on the railing and was gazing downward. Long brown hair blew heavily in the wind, and his shirt rippled like waves in the breeze.

There was something familiar about this man, something that told Freddie to run. Against his better judgement, he opened the glass door and stepped outside. "So good of you to come, Mr. Benson. For a moment, I thought my father would go against me and scare you off."

"Scare me off?"

"Yes." The man started to turn and Freddie's heart sank as the claws of fear dug into it. His eyes grew in horror and he recognized the evil snarl on Shane's face in a second. "So good to see you again, Freddie."

"You?" He pulled his hand to his throat, gasping aloud and struggling to speak. "How can it be you? You're in prison."

"They let me out." Shane walked to the chessboard and pulled back a velvet red chair. "Paroled." Freddie choked on his words and shook his head in disbelief while watching Shane's hand sweep over the chessboard. "Please, sit. I do believe you promised me a game of chess, and if I'm correct, you do keep your words? I respect a person that keeps their word."

"I-I don't know what to say…" He could turn and run, but something was holding him back from doing so. "You tried to kill us, and now you want to play chess?"

"With real stakes." A sly grin stretched across the man's face as he once more motioned to the empty chair. "Please, again, have a seat." He squinted his eyes and crossed his arms.

"What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

Shane rolled his head to the right and his eyes darted to the landscape. "Do you really want an answer to that?" Freddie approached the chair with reluctance. His left hand slid over the wood crafted top and he glared down his nose at the man. "You made it so easy to find you. Nora must have had a harder time locating you people."

"Don't bring her up."

"Oh believe me, I wouldn't do so without reason." Shane leaned over the table, cleared his throat and spoke his command again but firmly and with a slower speech. "You're running out of time Benson, have a seat."

"Fine." He sat down and stared down at the pieces in front of him. He had the darker set, which was a surprise. "What's your plan, Shane? Why did you lure me out here?" Sweat trickled down the side of his face as his heartbeat began to race. Every second that passed by, his heart would burn as though set on fire. He tried not to wince, but his body was starting to shake.

Shane closed his eyes and set a syringe down on the side of the table. "Like I said, I keep my promises. This…is an antidote." Freddie raised an eyebrow and hugged his abdomen. "You drank the coffee, I assume? By now I believe you're starting to feel the effects."

"Effect?"

"The coffee was laced with a poison some of my contacts outside helped to create." Freddie's jaw dropped and his eyes flew to the syringe. "This is the antidote to the poison, the only of its kind. The poison I have fed to you will corrupt your heart and slowly kill you, but this antidote can and will save you."

He ground his teeth and pulled his lips apart, growling as his glare fell onto Shane. "What's stopping me from grabbing that syringe right now?" Shane raised his right hand, curled his fingers and snapped them.

The sound of wheels bouncing against the metal bottom of the doors caught his attention and he glanced in time to see Shane's father pushing a cart with a large television on it. The television cord extended into the room and was plugged into a nearby outlet.

"How did you get your father wrapped up in this, Shane?"

"It's easy to find ways to force someone to your whim, easy when you know the exact thing to bend them to your will."

His eyebrows moved together and his face tightened as the trembling old man stopped beside them. Shane picked up a remote and turned on the television, and what came turned Freddie's blood to ice.

There were several different screens, set up like a security system, focusing on people tied up or chained on the ground.

Shane twisted around and hung his elbow over his chair, chuckling softly as he cast an arrogant look on the television. "All your pieces have been captured, Freddie."

His trembling hands closed and his throat grew tight as he studied the screens. In the top right corner were Spencer, and Freddie's parents, tied up in his apartment. Thankfully Sasha and the children weren't there, or matters could be much worse. Carly was present as well, seated before them and growling at her captor.

Standing with them was Nevel, who had never been tried for his part in Shane's crime.

The next screen showed Rodney pacing before Jonah and Valerie. Their children were clutching their mother's side and Jonah's fierce gaze followed Rodney around the room.

Freddie's trembling grew worse as he looked towards the bottom two screens. On the left, beneath Spencer's screen were Sam's mother and father. To his horror he saw Jeremy taunting the elderly couple.

Then finally on the next screen, his greatest fear was realized. Sam was locked up in some cell, sitting on a chair with her arms crossed. "Sam!" Freddie leaned forward, reaching out to the screen. "Why is she in a cell? Sam. Sam, can you hear me?" He saw her eyes look around the room, her mouth fell into a frown and her eyebrows furrowed.

Shane rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Of course they can hear you, but primarily it's only for this moment."

"What do you want, Shane?" He shot his hateful glare on the man, half tempted to pounce, but Shane was the now the one in control. "Why is Sam in a cell when the others aren't? What's going on?"

"What's going on is I looked up your old pal Gibby and forced him to lure your fiancé." Freddie's eyes widened and shot back to the screen in time to see Gibby walking by the camera.

Gibby had Sam's primary cell in his hand, but it was clear it was the only one. Freddie didn't understand why Gibby would be there, but if Shane forced the man, then it made sense. Gibby was one of the few people outside of family and close friends that they trusted after everyone went their separate ways some time ago.

"Lured her to his place to discuss plans to meet up with you when you apparently move to California. I believe there was a fight that broke out between them, he managed to hit her over the head and threw her in the cell in his basement."

The question that came to his mind was what was Gibby doing with a cell in the basement, but that didn't matter to him. Though extremely rare, there were some homes that were built in the 17 and 1800s with cells to hold slaves, and most had been demolished over the years. Some still stood, so it was probable that Gibby found one of those old homes.

Sensing a loss of control, Freddie sank in his chair and looked to the chessboard. "Alright Shane. I'll play your game. What do you want?"

"Simple." Shane reached over, pointing to the pieces on the board. "Each piece represents a person's life." His heart stopped and his stomach began to churn. "Obvious, Samantha is your Queen. The Knights represent Jonah, the Bishops represent Carly. The Rooks represent dear Valerie. Spencer, Mr. and Mrs. Benson, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Puckett are five people where we have eight pawns…"

"What?"

"You can lose three pawns before you begin losing people."

Freddie looked at the television and saw the horror on everyone's face. They knew what was at stake, and now he knew. "You're going to kill them off whenever you capture a piece?"

"Well, like I said, the pawns you have three free moves. Every other piece, if you lose both, someone will die." There was only one queen, however, so he knew he was going to have to keep that piece protected at all costs. Though, the queen also was the most powerful piece on the board, so he could still use it.

"And me?"

"Well. If you lose the game, obviously the poison in your system will kill you because I will not give you the antidote." Shane shrugged and glanced down at the syringe. "Man of my word, if you win, I will give you the antidote."

"You're mad."

"Oh you only wish I was insane." Shane turned off the television and Freddie gasped out. "They're a distraction for you, Freddie. I want your full undivided attention, clearly you need to play at your best."

"Damn you, Shane."

"Yes…" Shane laughed once and motioned to the pieces. "I'll give you the first move."

"Wait." He didn't feel weak yet, so the poison was clearly as slow acting as Shane said, but he didn't know just how long he had. "How do you know this poison will last long enough for a game of chess? One game could be played for hours…"

"If you let it drag on, sure, but trust me when I say it is a slow acting poison." Shane's eyes narrowed and his hands folded under his chin. "The poison won't kill you for at least another two or three hours."

"You've tested it before?" He raised his eyebrows. In the corner of his eyes he saw Shane's father flinch and shake, giving him the impression of just whom or what Shane must of tested it on. The absence of Shane's mother was telling. "You're a monster."

"Monster depends on whom you ask." Shane lowered his hands and straightened his back. "Now make your move."

"Your aim is to kill me, isn't it?" He slowly pushed the left most pawn up two spaces. His throat constricted, making it difficult to speak without a fearful tremor in his voice. "So why don't you just do it? Why risk me winning a game of chess and letting me live?"

"My goal isn't so much killing you as it is destroying you." Shane made his move and his nostrils spread apart. "Destroying everything you hold dear to your heart. Your family, your friends, your love…and I will force you to watch as they die. So if you win, you will live with those you failed to save."

"I see." Then this wasn't a game he could win without true skill and true cunning. He would have to catch Shane in mistakes without making any-or few-mistakes himself. "So I just have to not lose any pieces."

"You've been given grace. For every piece that isn't a pawn or queen, you can lose one without loss of life. For the pawns, you have three free misses before someone dies." Shane crossed his arms and looked back with a smug grin. "Just don't fail your queen, she only has one life."

Freddie sneered before making his move. He took some time to contemplate, trying to figure out the safest way to move and how to beat Shane at his own game. "There's nothing that says I couldn't just attack you right now, Shane."

"You're no idiot, Benson." Freddie raised a hand over his chin and slanted his eyes as Shane pointed to the blank television. "By now you've realized that I've given the order for my people to kill everyone if you should strike me down." A shiver ran down his spine and he shut his eyes.

"Your screen is off, we can't see them. You're saying they can see us?"

"Yes, and hear." Shane pointed towards a small statue and Freddie looked over to see a shiny round piece of metal seated within the eye of the statue. "There is a camera and microphone system hooked up in that statue, recording us to everyone watching. They will see when you fail, Freddie…"

"You're smart, but you're also arrogant. How do I know you'll let them go if I win?"

"Because I said I would. Should you manage to defeat me, whoever survives our little game will be left alone, safe."

"You'd go right back to prison."

"Yes. I suppose that could happen."

As time passed, the pain in Freddie's chest grew worse, like someone was drilling a hole into his heart. His stomach burned from the bile that seemed to be chewing through him, and his body was soaked in sweat.

His first three pawns managed to be captured, leaving him without any further buffers to save the remaining pieces. His remaining key pieces were spread across the board, the knights were out and one of his bishop had been moved. One rook was guarding the queen and king piece while the other was positioned behind a pawn that was within a diagonal radius from Shane's last remaining bishop piece.

He was fighting an early checkmate as well, knowing that if he lost through check or checkmate, he'd lose the entire game and then he'd fail everyone.

His hand trembled as he wrapped his fingers around his knight piece. The sweat between his knuckles glistened under the bright sun, and his eyes were blurred by the mixture of sweat and tears.

Shane appeared still calm and stoic, watching with a snake-like gaze, waiting for him to make the wrong move. As he slowly lifted the knight, silence fell around him and he heard nothing but the heavy slam of his heart against his chest.

It was getting difficult to breathe, and he felt as though someone were pushing a thousand pound weight into his chest. "Don't worry Freddie, if it gets to be too much, you can always quit."

"Shut up!"

Freddie set the knight down with a groan and ran his hand through his damp brown hair. His aim was to take out Shane's queen piece, to hopefully have the run of the board.

Shane was cockier than before, perhaps due to the poison growing worse, but it also meant he was more susceptible to error. Much to Freddie's pleasure, Shane moved his rook piece across the board, stealing away Freddie's first knight.

"That poison must be hurting you pretty badly, Benson, if it makes you throw one of your knights in obvious danger." Shane laughed once and shook his head. "You must not be thinking about your best friend Jonah too much right about now, since you only have one left."

"No? You took my knight just to make that speech?" Freddie pointed at the board and a weakened smirk grew on his face as he watched Shane's eyes move towards his end. Shane threw his hand to his forehead and groaned when his eyes fell onto Freddie's queen piece.

"You just moved your final Rook in direct danger, and there are no pieces on your side that can take mine in that spot, so…" He pushed the queen forward, striking Shane's rook.

"Well played, Benson. Well played." Shane moved the captured piece to the side and huffed. "I admit I wasn't paying attention." Shane moved his Bishop with a growl, sliding it into the pawn that was directly in front of Freddie's rook, and coincidentally now in the same row as his Queen.

Stricken with horror, he watched the grin spread across Shane's face. The move was purposeful. "You know I could take that bishop easily, why would you take the pawn?" His heart sank and a dangerous quake rushed through his body as Shane turned around.

"I wanted to remind you of the stakes." Freddie whimpered as the television screen lit up. His eyes focused on Spencer's screen and the Puckett's, knowing one of them was about to die. "How about…"

"I'm so sorry," he mouthed. His hands clutched his stomach and he bowed his head. "Oh god."

"Jeremy." Freddie's head rose suddenly and he stared at the screen with Mr. and Mrs. Puckett. Jeremy turned to the camera and brought a knife into view. "Why don't you go ahead and take out Mrs. Puckett?" The woman's misty eyes widened and her husband started shouting his angered protests as Jeremy walked behind her.

"No," Freddie muttered, "Shane stop him." Guilt and doubt ran through his mind and though he wanted to turn away he couldn't. His eyes focused on the knife as Jeremy grabbed Mrs. Puckett's head and yanked it back before bringing the blade to her throat. "Please!"

Tears welled up in his eyes and he reached forward as though he could stop the murder from where he was.

In the peripheral he noticed something strange, however. The screen beside Jeremy's, where Sam was, was empty. Or rather, there was someone seated in the cell with their back turned towards the camera and a person guarding them, but it wasn't Sam and the guard wasn't Gibby.

The seated person turned their head, and to Freddie's shock, he saw that Gibby had been caught. "What…"

His eyes darted back to Jeremy's screen, and surprisingly, Jeremy hadn't committed the murder yet. A sense of relief swelled in his heart when he saw the man's head jerk to the right and his hand pull away from his victim's throat.

"Drop the weapon and put your hands in the air," someone shouted from off screen. Shane smacked his forehead and rolled his head to the right. "Do it now!" Jeremy raised his hands and dropped the knife to the ground, trembling fearfully as several police officers ran into view.

A woman with long blonde hair and an angry sneer walked towards Jeremy and pushed him to the ground. Freddie could tell it wasn't Sam, since her hair was far too yellow and too straight. It was her sister, Melanie.

"That can't be possible!" Shane cried in anger. Freddie chuckled softly and Shane turned his head towards him. "What are you laughing about, Benson?"

"That's Melanie, Sam's sister. She joined the police force here in Seattle a year or two ago." It was a twin thing truly, Melanie and Sam often joked about wanting to go into the same careers when they were kids. Melanie was the first to take an interest in criminal justice, and Sam followed her path when she gained an interest. "I guess she got tipped off, Shane. Either that, or she must have known something was wrong if she couldn't contact her parents."

Freddie picked up his queen piece and watched Shane's eyes grow as he slid the piece horizontally into the Bishop. He gave a dramatic sweep, pushing the bishop off the board, and held his smirk. "Your move now, Shane."

Shane must not have seen that Sam was also out. It made sense, Gibby had only grabbed her primary phone. If she still had her Nokia on her person, then there was no chance of her remaining in captivity.

They had been playing for a little over an hour now, and Freddie wasn't certain if the police were going to be able to find Spencer, Carly, or Jonah before anything could happen to them. He needed to play his moves carefully from this point and keep from becoming arrogant, just because the Pucketts were safe and Sam wasn't in captivity anymore didn't mean the game was over.

As more time passed, the pains in his chest were shaper now and every beat of his heart was like a knife stabbing into him. He was silent for the struggle that it was to speak, and every inch of his body was now soaked and drenched with sweat.

"Make it easy on yourself," Shane said while Freddie was contemplating his next move. "Don't prolong the anguish by taking forever between each move."

"You know the importance of thinking each move through…" His words were hoarse and rough against his throat. Shane smiled at him and nodded.

"That I do."

His Queen was in the position that she could take Shane's knight, and there was no immediate move that he could see which would take the Queen. So with that in mind, Freddie moved his queen piece along to capture Shane's final knight.

"You've had a good run, Benson. Too bad it must end."

"I don't think so, Shane. Look closely." Shane's King was in the corner. Freddie's pawns were close by, along with his final key pieces, that made movement difficult. Freddie's last move with the queen not only took out Shane's last remaining knight, but it positioned her in the opportune position to place Shane directly in check. No matter where he went as well, she could still catch him.

Shane snarled and slowly stood up from the table. Before he could say anything, a roar of sirens filled the air. "What?" Shane snapped his head over the balcony and turned around, peering down in horror as several police units surrounded the home.

Thinking fast, Freddie grabbed the syringe and injected the antidote into his arm. His body sank back in the chair as a cool sensation filled his veins. His heart was beginning to slow and the feeling of nausea within his stomach was slowly subsiding.

His lips broke apart and a relieved gasp shot out of his mouth. Shane looked at him with a growl and grabbed the remote to turn on the television. "That's fine. As a man of my word, I will order Rodney, Nevel and Gibby to release-" His eyes froze on the screen and Freddie grinned when he saw no one present in any of the squares. "Shit. How could they have been found in the first place?"

"You didn't notice when you turned it on a while back that Sam was missing." Shane dropped his shoulders and raised a hand over his mouth. "Sam's a police officer, she also keeps multiple phones on her at all times."

Just then the doors slid open and Shane turned partially in time to see Sam step inside with a few police officers in tow. He slouched a bit further, frowned and relaxed the tension in his face.

"Your grunt didn't find my Nokia, Shane." She removed the small phone from her pocket, flashing it for a second before pushing it back in and gripping her gun.  
"Put your hands on the back of your head and get down on your knees."

Shane did as ordered, only responding with a sigh as an officer ran to put the handcuffs on him. "How did you did you get everyone out? I assume it was you." Sam holstered her gun and hurried over to Freddie, only being separated by the paramedics running to check on him.

She stepped back with a sigh and put her hands to her hips. She glared at Shane with slanted eyes. "Simple, called my team with my Nokia phone. It was easy enough to get information out of Gibby, so while flying to Seattle I called my sister and had her get my parents out of trouble. After my plane landed, I guided the police to Jonah and Valerie to make sure they were safe, and then we ran by the Shay house."

"Well played…"

Freddie stood up and stumbled over to Sam. She put her arms around him, hugging him and at the same time holding him steady. Seeing her here, feeling the warmth of her arms around him was like seeing the bright moon on a black night. He didn't know he could love her more than he already did.

Shane looked from her to Freddie and shook his head. "You win." The officer picked Shane up from the ground while reading him his rights, and led him out. Freddie turned to Sam, gazing into her trembling blue eyes with a gentle smile.

Sam pushed her arms around his neck, holding him tight as he hugged her waist. "I was scared I wouldn't be fast enough," Sam muttered under her breath. "I thought I was going to lose you."

She was strong, but he understood where she was coming from. He was terrified of the same, but now that he was safe, they could start to relax. "Everything's okay, we're all okay."

"Damn right." Sam pulled away, looking at him with angry tearful eyes. "I thought you didn't even play chess anymore. How did Shane even…" She paused, holding her breath for a moment before releasing it and dropping her forehead to his chest. "No, that doesn't matter. You're safe, the others are safe, and Shane's back in custody. That's all that matters."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Shane or not, his days of playing chess were over. Had it not been for Gibby not catching Sam's other phone, he could have lost everyone. Whether that was intentional on Gibby's part or not, he was grateful. "You know Gibby was forced, right Sam?"

"Yeah, he told the police everything."

"Good…"

"Let's just go, alright? This is still a crime scene, you need to be seen by the doctors just to make sure that crap is out of your system."

"Could I just hold you?" He smirked playfully and Sam leaned up, kissing him on the jaw.

"You're alive, Freddie. There will be plenty of time for that. We just need to make sure whatever he put in your system is out." Sam dropped an arm around his back and leaned her head against his shoulder while walking out the door with him.

He took one final glance out on the balcony and shuddered upon seeing the chessboard. "Sam." She raised her head and looked back with him. "I think I've just played my last game of chess…for a very long time."

* * *

Well I hope you've enjoyed this oneshot, and if you went back to my profile to read the old oneshot before this then good. If not, you could go read it now. Either way, let me know your thoughts. You know, the Queen is the most powerful piece on the board for a reason, and I do believe you've just seen that here too.


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